Compact or vanity case



Sept. 15, 1942. P. 1.. MENN COMPAQ! OR VANITY CASE Filed Oct. 23, 1959 I Clttorneg.

Patented Sept. 15

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I i 2,296,112 i COMPACT on VANITY case, I Paul L. Menu, Los Angeles, Calif. r Application October 23, 1939, Serial No. 300,762 1 Claim. ((31.240-645) This invention relates to compacts or vanity cases. i

The invention hasfor an object the provision of a compact incorporating in the casingthereof a suitable means adapted toilluminate the face of a user, to the end that when the user views theface in a mirror, forming a partof said compact; the said user is enabled to apply rouge, powder, lip stick, or other cosmetics in a skillful manner. Particularly, a compact of this type is of direct benefit when the said compact must be used in the dark and other lighting medium is, not provided. Furthermore,irrespective of the provisionof other lighting mediums, suchas overhead lights, and the like,ithe present invention, by providing suitablemeans for illuminating the! face, permits a closer inspection of,

the face. lThis is particularly true ,for the reason that most compacts are held close to the face during use thereof, andwith the'illuminating means also held close ts the face during use thereohdetails of the skin are brought into relief. i

Another object is the provisionof a compact of the character stated, wherein" the illuminat ing means is readilyrenewable by theuser. The

inventor is aware that compacts embodying i1- luminating meanshave been on the market prior to this invention, but inthe majority of cases, thesillumination afforded has been meagre, the

light bulbs not readilyreplaceablethe compacts exceedingly bulky, and generally factory operation and appearance.

The present invention overcomesthe defl'ciencies, above enumerated; andprovides a compact which isiornamental in appearance, of light Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the compact,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view onthe line 3- -3 of Figure 2, the saidcover being in the position of thecover of Figure 1 relative to the case or housing, and, I

t Figure 4 is Figure 2.

Referring now with particularity to thedraw- 3 ing, I designates the compact or vanity case as an entirety, wherein Z designates generally the casing or body, and 3 a cover or top for the said not of satisweight, in which the illuminating means does not occupy undue space, wherein the various means for holding cosmetics may be conveniently disposed, whichis small, soils to readily fit within a pocketbook, rugged, adapted for long use and wear without likelihood of injury, and

generally superior to compacts of the stated.- i .t

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the noveland character useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, m'e'rn bers andfeatures, alias shown ina certainwembodiment in the accompanying drawing, I describedgenerally, and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing: t Figure l is a. perspective view ofthefcompact when in position for use,

, at l3. This latter construction in casing. Thesaid casing includes a bottom memberl, a pair of side-members 5 andB, and nar: row strips 'l and 8 spaced above the bottom member 4. The-casing part 4 is curvedly bent at 9, terminating in knuckles ill, of which there may be several, as illustrated inFigure 1',"at II and I2. At the opposite end, the said wall 4 is bent upwardly and curved as shown in Figure 3, conjunction with a curved door It provided with hinged knuckles 15 adapted to receive a pin, forms the compartment within which may bepiaced a For convenience in,

small cell battery l6. holding the door closed, both the door and the curved portion l3 are provided with a snap catch,

This construction, provides a slightly enlargedcurved end or bulge designated generally as H.

for the compact or vanity case; however, the bulge is not so great as to be appreciably of greater diameter than the depth of the compact I as illustrated in the drawing.

The side members 5 and 6 are of channel form so as to Jflt over and input receive the casing strips I and'8, and the bottom 4, as bestillustrated in Figure 4. These side members are detachably secured to. the casing portions 4, I and 8, so that they may be readily removable, both for assembly pf the various elements of the device and for making repairs. It is obvious that suitable means, such as small screws, may be used for holding the said parts aforesaid in assemblage, if desired. The said members conform in outline to the curvature of both curved portions of the compact or vanity case (see Figure 1)., Furthermore, the door [4 is of a width adapted tofit between said side pieces (see Figure2,ati8). a

Forconvenience ofdeseription, the end oppo site the battery housing or compartment, and herein designated as the illuminating compart- A ment, is referred to as an entirety as l9. The compartment I9 is formed by providing a transverse dividing strip 20 between sides of the casa sectional view on the line 4-4' of ing. This dividing strip is provided with a ledge 21 and a swing door 22 is provided with hinge knuckles and cooperates with the knuckles l through the medium of a suitable pin, whereby the door may be swung from th full line position of Figure 3 to the dotted line position 23 of the same figure. This door is provided with a window 24, best formed by slotting the said door and placing over said slot a suitable means, such as frosted glass, or other member having light diffusing characteristics. To this end, the door is provided with a depressed ledge 25 surrounding the slot so that the window 24 may be fitted therein (see Figure 4).

A screw socket 26, secured to the door and on the inner surface thereof, is adapted to receive a magnifying point-light type bulb 21, the said bulb having the glass portion thereof lying beneath the window 24. Adjacent the screw socket is a contact 28, this contact engaging the base contact of the bulb. In the path of the pointlight pencil emitted by the bulb when operating is a mirror 29, the mirror being held by an arm 30 which is adjustably secured to a bracket 3|, the bracket in turn being fastened to the transverse wall 20. The arm 30 is longitudinally slotted at 32, and adjustment is secured by means of a screw 33 having threaded engagement with the bracket 3|. Thus, the mirror may be moved relative to the light bulb to best reflect light through the window 24. the mirror is held at an angularity of substantially 45 relative to a vertical plane longitudinally cutting the casing and to a vertical plane transversely cutting the casing. Other angularities may be found useful, depending upon the configuration of the vanity case,and I do not wish to confine this invention to any particular angularity of the mirror.

The electrical contact is on a resilient arm 34. This arm 34 is secured to a face of an insulation strip 35, which extends substantially the length of the casing. A metallic strip 36 is attached to the insulation strip, and is bent so as to be received within the compartment adapted to house the battery 16. The positive pole of the battery is adapted to engage th strip 36, being urged into such engagement through the medium of a coil spring 31 interposed between the base of the cell and the side 6.

The side piece is slotted at 38 and a finger piece 39 of a switch projects therethrough, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This finger piece carries aslide 40 which, when in the position shown in Figure 2, is in Off position. When the switch is moved to a second position, the slide will'engage the strip 36 as well as the arm 34, and an electrical circuit will be completed by the slide bridging the space included between the strip and the arm.

Adjacent the insulation for one side of the case is a riser strip 4|, and a like strip is provided for the opposite side.

Suitable trays 42 and 43 may be placed within the confines of the casing for holding cosmetics, such as powder, rouge, and the like. Thes trays are of any configuration and fitted in slots of a tray holder 44 (see Figure 3). The tray holder may have a pressed-fit engagement within the casing.

The riser strips, such as 4|, form boundaries. for the top surface of the tray holder 44 to prevent powder, or the like, from pasing over the tray within the confines of the sides 2 and 3, 75

In the present instance,

and also for the purpose of giving th article a completed and finished appearance.

The cover 3 on the inner surface thereof, is provided with a mirror 45, and this said cover is hinged at 45 to the casing. The cover is curvedly bent at its outercost end 41 so as to overlie the door 22, when the door is closed to its casing. A simple catch arrangement 48 and 49 is provided for both the casing and the cover 3 so as to hold the cover closed.

The operation, uses, and advantages of the invention areas follows:

The cover 3 is normally closed to the casing and whereby the curved end 41 overlaps the window 24 and the door 22. When it is desired to use the compact or vanity case, the finger nail may release the catches 48 and 49 from c0- engagement and the cover 3 may swing upwardly and assume an angularity relative to the casing, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. If it is desired to illuminate the user's face, the finger piece 39 is moved within its slot 38 so that an electrical circuit is completed between the battery and the bulb 21. "The bulb used is of'the pre-focused magnifying point-light type and the light pencil therefrom is reflected by .the mirror 29 through the window 24, which member, if translucent, gives a diffused lighting effect sufficient to adequately and completely illuminate the face.

If the bulb should burn out, the door 22 may be lifted so as to swing about its hinge connection with the casing 23 from the dotted :line position to the full line position of Figure 2. The bulb is readily removable and a new one may be placed within the socket 26.

When it becomes necessary to renew the'bat- I tery 16, the cover l4 may be released and moved to the dotted line position in Figure 3, whereupon the fingers may grasp the battery and remove the same from its compartment. To do this, the battery will have to compress thespring 31 (see Figure 2). In inserting a new battery,

'the base of the battery is first pushed against and direct the same through the window 24 in such a manner that a small light circle appears upon the window, particularly noticeable when the window is translucent. When positioned properly, a beam of light is passed through'the window so that said beam, when'the compact is held centrally of the face of a user'thereof, will be cast upon the side of the cheek and the intensity of this beam of light is normally greater than the direct illumination upon, say, the nose or upon the eyes. Direct illumination of the face result from the illumination given the window by the bulb 21.

The device may be used as a small flash-light due to the positioning of the reflector mirror 29. In actual practice and use of the invention,

it has been found that the light directed upon the face of a user thereof does not disturb others who may be adjacent the user. This factor is particularly desirable in theatres and the diffused nature of the light, although fairly intense, is ntet such as to readily attract the attention of o hers,

anemia It isobvious that rariouschanges and modiflcations and variations may bemade in practicing the invention in departurel'rom the particular showingthereor in the drawings and description as given. without, however, departing from the true scope oi the invention as defined by the app nded claim.

I claim:

wardlr of said mirror, a spotlight mounted in said light compartment, a reflector mounted in said light compartment for reflecting the light of said A vanity case including a casing, a cover hinged to said casing, a mirror onthe inner side of said cover, a light compartment in said casingior molly closing said light compartment, and a window in said door through which the light or the spotlight is reflected by the reflector.

PAUL L. MENN, 

